It’s smart to get homeowners or renters insurance, likely required if you have a mortgage. But if you actually had to make a claim, would you know what items you lost? That’s what a home inventory is useful for. After a tragedy like losing your home or experiencing a burglary, it’s hard enough dealing with the situation and working toward getting restored. Make a home inventory to help ease that burden (and boost your credibility with your insurance provider). You’ll be glad you did. Here’s a home inventory tool, provided by the Insurance Information Institute: http://www.knowyourstuff.org/ Excerpts from the Terms of [...]Read Full Article →

From HouseLogic, by: Laura Fisher Kaiser Published: January 28, 2011 A whole-house fan is a simple and inexpensive method of cooling a house. Maximum cooling from your whole-house fan Whenever the outside temperature drops below inside temps, open some screened windows and flip on the fan to pull cool, dry air through the house and exhaust hot airthrough your roof vents. For a morning “pre-cool,” run your whole-house fan just before sunrise, then close the windows to seal in the cool air as the day warms up. In the evening when outside temps dip, turn on your fan to cool off the [...]Read Full Article →

It’s that time of year again. Each June, the Tulsa County Treasurer auctions properties that are seriously delinquent with unpaid property taxes. That’s right, if you don’t pay your property taxes, eventually the county will sell your house to the highest bidder. Buying tax auction properties is an excellent way to obtain property(ies). You get an unbeatable price, the tax burden is resolved, and then you go from there. I’ll recommend you involve the services of an attorney to clear title and, if necessary, evict anyone in the property (or sign them up for a lease agreement). If you’re looking to sell [...]Read Full Article →

Which cell phone provider has the best coverage for your area? You can type in your zip code and see for yourself: http://opensignalmaps.com/coverage-maps/US/ OpenSignalMaps – Compare cell network coverage all over the world. View coverage maps for AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-mobile, Vodafone and all international networks. Owasso, OK and Collinsville, OK cell phone coverage: 8% worse coverage than the average US city 22% better coverage than the worldwide average Recommended Carrier: Verizon Wireless Broken Arrow, OK cell phone coverage: 3% worse coverage than the average US city 29% better coverage than the worldwide average Recommended Carrier: Verizon Wireless [...]Read Full Article →

January Real Estate on the Cheap: For the budget-minded, staging a home for sale may seem like an expensive hassle. But making a small investment, whether DIY or with a pro, can lead to higher offers. Here’s what to do. http://realestate.msn.com/9-tips-to-help-you-save-on-home-staging Repeat after me: It’s not your home When you list your house for sale, it goes from being your home to being a product. “Any time you are marketing a product, you want to dress it up pretty,” says Brandon Green, a Washington, D.C., real-estate agent. “But people don’t see their homes as products.”Read Full Article →

Excerpts from the article by Keith Loria: The first step in making sure your kitchen is up to par is to upgrade to more durable products by adding stainless steel kitchen sinks, refrigerators and ovens. Stainless steel, as it is a neutral color, is easy to match with just about any modern kitchen décor. A nice backsplash can also do wonders. Cast iron is a good alternative for sinks . Think about adding additional sinks. Another great amenity for the kitchen is a pot filler, or an extendable faucet that can be installed next to your stovetop or prep sink for easy water [...]Read Full Article →

2011 was the first year I served on any GTAR/NORES committees. I was enlightened and encouraged by the experiences I’ve had on the Data Systems and Sales Associate committees. I’m also on the Keybox committee, but we didn’t have any meetings this year. Sales Associate Committee The Sales Associate Committee had a novel year. We put on the first “3-Hour Tour” (name inspired by Gilligan’s Island) of Downtown Tulsa. 88 members attended the event on May 25, 2011. You can watch a video compilation below to get a feel for the great information shared by Ed Sharrer and share in the fun exploring [...]Read Full Article →

Source: National Association of REALTORS (NAR) via Lowe’s InmanNews – Daily Real Estate News The typical age for first-timers was 31, up one year from the 2010 report. The typical repeat buyer was 53, up from 49. Married couples accounted for 64 percent of recent homebuyers — the highest share since 2001. First-time buyers had a higher share of singles and unmarried couples among them, while repeat buyers were most likely to be married couples. After two straight years of declines, median household income among buyers rose 12 percent in 2010 to $80,900, from $72,200 in 2009. For first-timers, [...]Read Full Article →

Infographic published by HOATown, embedded from Visual.ly What you’ll learn about Home Owner Associations (HOAs) 8,000 new HOAs formed annually Several factors that led to the explosion of HOAs in the U.S. Approximately 25 million housing units with over 60 million residents are governed by HOAs 1.75 million people on HOA boards and 350,000 committee volunteers (1 committee volunteer per 5 board members) Over 300,000 HOAs in the U.S. in 2010, up from 10,000 HOAs in 1970 (big jump from 1980 to 1990) HOA communities account for approximately 15% of all the U.S. property values Most HOA residents say [...]Read Full Article →

Infographic published by DM, designed by Jon Hines, embedded from Visual.ly What you’ll learn about HVAC for your Home Annual checkups for Heat and A/C units Insulate your water heater tank and other areas of the home Install a programmable thermostat and low-flow shower heads Consider trees and other vegetation Quality windows can save on energy bills For buying and selling real estate, please contact me. Additionally, I may be able to provide you with professionals in related industries like Tulsa lending, Tulsa insurance, and even Tulsa heat and [...]Read Full Article →

Infographic published by Payoff.com, designed by ptvan, embedded from Visual.ly What you’ll learn about Renting vs. Buying The Rent vs. Buy decision depends on your area And how long you’ll be staying in that house To receive help considering your own personal Rent vs. Buy decision points, please contact me, and we’ll discuss your situation and goals professionally and confidentially.Read Full Article →

Infographic published by Build Direct, designed by Angie’s List, embedded from Visual.ly What you’ll learn about Contractors Questions a contractor shouldn’t ask you Handymen vs. Contractors Tips to ensure a quality experience For buying and selling real estate, please contact me. Additionally, I may be able to provide you with professionals in related industries like Tulsa lending, Tulsa insurance, and even Tulsa contractors.Read Full Article →

What do you want to see in this decade’s newest construction plans? The NAHB has an idea… …The National Association of Home Builders is offering up a vision of how we’ll live in just four years–and it’s a little different than what you might expect. The NAHB sent out a survey last year that asked members–designers, architects, manufacturers, and more– what they think homes will look like in 2015. Some of the results aren’t that surprising. The survey reveals that the average single-family home is likely to drop to 2,150 square feet from 2,400 square feet today, probably as a result [...]Read Full Article →

4 benefits to buying real estate in receivership Lenders see foreclosure alternative as win-win By Tom Kelly In a nutshell, a receivership is an alternative to a foreclosure proceeding (where a lender takes ownership of the project) or a bankruptcy proceeding (a trustee takes control of the project). Receivers are court-appointed individuals given custodial responsibility of a property that serves as collateral for a loan in default. Receivers displace the property owner as the active property manager and make all decisions regarding management and operations. These often include making improvements, completing construction and getting the property ready for sale. The [...]Read Full Article →

Attributed to Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac. “Average 30-year conventional fixed mortgage rates fell below 4 percent for the first time in history this week following a sharp drop in 10-year Treasuries early in the week as concerns over a global recession grew. Average 15-year fixed rates fell to a record low in the PMMS as well. Interest rates for 1-year ARMs, however, rose, as the Fed began replacing $400 billion of its short-term Treasury securities, which serve as benchmarks for many ARMs. Also, in his testimony to Congresss Joint Economic Committee on Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman [...]Read Full Article →

I came across this photo and thought how refreshing it would be if it was in a house in the foyer/entrance (without the flooded floor of course). When visiting so many homes for sale, this would definitely help us remember that we visited – except we might forget the rest of the house!Read Full Article →

Property values in some Tulsa neighborhoods soar, others sink | Tulsa World (April 2011) Exceprts/Paraphrases from the article: The Tulsa World analyzed computerized land records gathered from the Tulsa County Assessor’s Office to determine the average percentage change in value for each single-family residential subdivision in Tulsa County. Overall, home prices in Tulsa County subdivisions have increased in value by an average of about 8 percent since 2006, the World’s analysis shows. The data show that since 2006, many midtown neighborhoods and those just north of the Tulsa fairgrounds have experienced some of the biggest jumps in average property [...]Read Full Article →

Chicken Little Sells Her House Reposted with Bill Zumwalt’s permission, emphasis added. William T Zumwalt CPA, PLLC 5416 South Yale Ave, Suite 120 Tulsa, OK 74135 918-583-1040 Website | Facebook Hi!- Life would be a lot easier for all of us if tax laws didn’t change all the time. Every year, Washington writes new laws. The IRS writes new regulations interpreting those laws. The Tax Court issues new decisions interpreting those regulations. And the IRS issues enough revenue rulings, revenue procedures, private letter rulings, and similar proclamations to keep an army of accountants and attorneys gainfully employed. [...]Read Full Article →

“Oklahoma’s real estate rebirth“, written by Steve Bergsman, was syndicated by Lowe’s and Inman News to a national audience of real estate professionals on September 21. What great publicity (and encouragement) for our local real estate market. Here are some quotes from the article: personal income growth at 8 percent is the fifth best in the country unemployment is well below the national average all sectors are showing job growth including construction, and the housing market is very healthy [Oklahoma City and Tulsa] were in the top five in median price growth at the start of the year. The Oklahoma [...]Read Full Article →

Foreclosures can present good deals, but that means currently-owned real estate receives downward pricing pressure. In this current real estate market, there are many foreclosures available and I have experienced a lot of activity, including being part of multi-offer scenarios, which help increase offer prices. So showing the foreclosure numbers and trends can help you catch a good deal and also get a feeling of the general foreclosure activity in this market. RealtyTrac National Foreclosure Rate Heat Map You can see that Oklahoma is faring pretty well in comparison with other states. RealtyTrac Foreclosure Activity Counts by Oklahoma Counties For [...]Read Full Article →

Neglected Vacant Property The City of Tulsa adopted Title 24A in July 2010, which requires owners of “neglected vacant properties” to register their property ($50 registration fee) to assign a local contact (e.g. Realtor), disclose if the property is for sale, and declare the plans for the property: to be demolished (include demolition plan) to remain vacant ($500 annual fee if remaining in “neglected” status) to be returned to normal occupancy or use (must submit rehabilitation plans, to be completed within 12 months, with progress milestones every 4 months) City of Tulsa’s information page, with links to the Registration Form and [...]Read Full Article →

After installing the GoodReader for iPad app ($4.99 as of this writing), which is a PDF reader and annotator (the feature we’ll be using), as well as being a text file reader, FTP and Dropbox file browser and synchronizer, image viewer, and much more… follow these steps: Disclaimer This guide shows how to sign a PDF with your finger (a type of electronic signature, as opposed to a digital signature) and email it. According to my REALTOR® Association‘s new CEO (was the COO prior to July 1, 2011), Mike Cotrill said electronic signatures have been valid for Oklahoma real [...]Read Full Article →

This great new resource for local information and data is available to my Buyers and Sellers looking for all the details. Take a look at some sample data below… there’s a lot more where that came from. Contact me if interested in a local market area – and include the address because this can get down to the address level. Community Overview Population, demographics, housing turnover, owned / rented / vacant percentages. Temperature/Climate, weather damage risk compared to national averages, workforce statistics. Local rental rates based on size of dwelling, crime stats, school info. AND… cost of [...]Read Full Article →

Whether you control the backend of the website you’re posting to (e.g. www.cliffpaulick.com) or not (www.zillow.com), you have control of the content. And content is the most important factor in trying to show up in search results. If you control your own website (i.e. WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.), you can use “keywords” (a “meta tag”), but they’re not very influential to search engines (SEs) anymore. Meta tags are “behind the scenes” words that only SEs see – they’re not on the main display page. SEs are smarter than they used to be and can now “crawl” pages for content to determine for themselves what search terms [...]Read Full Article →

I like things that are able to be categorized, listed, bullet-pointed, calculated, mapped, and calendarized. No doubt, I am someone who likes orderly things, like financial analysis, CMAs, geotagging, address validation, mining databases, and browsing calendars. In a positive and reflective way, I believe there’s something to remember (and hopefully celebrate) every day: life, family, history, and holidays. The rest of this blog post shares information about our todays, tomorrows, and yesterdays – but not in a heavy way, just for browsing. :) Examples of major holidays: New Year’s Day Presidents’ Day Easter Sunday Memorial Day Flag Day Independence Day Labor Day Christmas [...]Read Full Article →

Long term, there’s no doubt that buying is the better financial decision. However, the Rent vs. Buy question is very personal. The right answer for you today might be the opposite tomorrow. Rent vs. Buy is a moving target, which is appropriate, since we’re considering moving! When to Rent Credit scores or finances aren’t good or excellent Unless you’re a cash buyer, you’ll need to qualify for mortgage financing. Nowadays, mortgage lenders typically expect a 650 or higher credit score during this time of heightened caution against potentially-adverse lending practices. They’re playing it safe. Oh yeah, and be employed. Not [...]Read Full Article →

I’m pleased to share these visually-appealing guides about Buying, Renting, and Selling real estate from the free personal finance website Mint.com. Tip: Hold CTRL and move the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in/out. Alternatively, hold CTRL and the plus (+) and minus (-) signs to zoom. Request: After enjoying these Buying, Renting, and Selling “infographics,” give me a call at 918-409-2543 and let’s make a deal! :) I am detailed, produce quality photos and videos for listings, and take care of my clients. View on… How To Buy A Home How to Sell A Home Infographics [...]Read Full Article →

If you’re a REALTOR®, you should blog. Here’s why: Writing–even if it’s just in your secret journal–makes you a smarter person. Do it for them. Do it for you. How does anyone know you’re really a professional unless you share what you know? You don’t have to publicly divulge all your industry secrets, but share some informational- and experiential-love with the world. 90% of Buyers use the Internet in their home search. There are more web surfers and information hoarders than there are Buyers. Can your intended audience find you? Everyone is famous to 1,500 people. Some people are even famous [...]Read Full Article →

Gas costs more when you’re not having fun I don’t like to waste money. Yesterday, I was driving to show four properties–the first was about 30 minutes away. I got about 2 minutes from the first when I realized I left my Display Key (the electronic key that opens our lockboxes) at home. It threw off my and my buyers’ smartly-planned trip (thankfully it wasn’t an inconvenience to the sellers). I was bummed, but, thank God, it turned out very well. I was frustrated with myself about forgetting the key and changing the course of events, but I was also frustrated that I wasted gas, [...]Read Full Article →